Locomotive-spring and mode of making the same



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No' Model.)

W. EVANS. LOOOMOTIVE SPRING AND MODE OF MAKING THE SAME. No 465,661.

Patented 1360.22, 1891.

2- sheetssheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. EVANS. 'LOGOMOTIVE SPRING AND MODE 0]? MAKING THE SAME. No. 465.661.

Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCOMOTlVE-SPRING AND MODE OF MAKING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,661, dated December 22, 1891.

Application filed March 13,1891. Serial No. 384,863. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Springs and in the Mode of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates in general to springs for loc0motive-engines, and more particularly to the construction of the main or supporting leaves thereof, whereby the respective extremities of the latter are adapted for the reception of suitable hangers, brackets, or links.

The principal objects of the present invention are, first, to provide a strong, evenly-tempered, and inexpensive supporting or main leaf having the respective extremities thereof adapted for the reception of hangers, links, or brackets, and, second, to provide asimple, expeditious, and efficient method of producing such leaves.

My invention consists of a supporting or main leaf for locomotive-springs, having the respective extremities thereof struck up and punched and turned or folded back upon themselves for the reception of l12t1'1gBlS,lil1kS, or brackets.

My invention f nrther consists in the method of making supporting-leaves for locomotivesprings, which consists in striking up and punching the respective extremities of the leaf by means of suitable dies, turning or folding the respective extremities of the leaf back upon themselves by means of a binding appliance and tempering the leaf in anysnitable manner, and my invention further consists in the improvements hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The nature and peculiar features of myinvention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in'which Figure l is an elevation of a locomotive spring provided with a main or supporting leaf embodying features of my invention and having the respective extremities thereof struck up, punched, and bent or folded back upon themselves for the reception of T- shaped links or hangers. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the extremities of the main or supporting leaf, showing aslot punched through the folded portion thereof for the passage of the shank of the hanger. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing two pockets struck up from the upper member of the folded portion of the leaf and located on opposite sides of the slot. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, showing in dotted lines the center portions of the pockets bent or curved downward in order to form a seat for the head of the T- shaped hanger. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of one extremity of a supporting or main leaf embodying a modification of my invention and showing the same folded back upon itself and struck up, so as to form a seat extending entirely across the face of the leaf and adapted for the reception of a hanger, link, or the like. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of one extremity of a supporting or main leaf embodying features of another modified form of my invention and showing four detached pockets struck up from the upper member of the folded portion of the leaf and adapted for the reception of a hanger, link, or bracket. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. 7, showing in dotted lines the under por tion of the respective pockets. Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of one extremity of a main or supporting spring embodying another modification of my invention and showing a pocket struck up from the upper member of the folded leaf and extending across the center but not to the edge thereof; and Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 9, showing in dotted lines the under surface of the pocket.

The main or supporting leaves of locomotive-springs may be produced or manufactured according to my invention in the following manner:

One of the extremities of a strip, bar, or other metal blank somewhat longer than the required length of the finished leaf is heated to a proper temperature-for example, to the temperature corresponding to a bright cherry-red color and the heated extremity is struck up or drop-forged by means of suitable dies and a trip or other type of hammer, in order to form pocketsor impressions of any suitable contour, and adapted to constitute the respective sides of a seat for a hanger, link, or bracket. The struck up or forged extremity of the blank is then turned or folded back upon itself, but not welded, in order to bring the blank to the required length and in order to bring the seat for the hanger, link, or bracket into proper position upon the face of the leaf. In some instances the folded portion of the spring is punched, in order to form a slot for the passage of the shank of the hanger, link, or bracket. operation may be performed either before or after the blank is folded or turned back upon itself by means of a suitable punch or drill, it being understood that when the extremity of the blank is punched before being folded,

it is necessary to punch two holes, which are brought into alignment by means of a driftpin, or in any other preferred manner, after the folding operation is completed. After both extremities of the leaf have been treated in the above-described manner the leaf itself is tempered in the usual or in any other preferred manner for use.

Having thus indicated the method of making a main or supporting leaf according to my invention, a description will now be given of the distinguishing and characteristic features of the leaf itself.

Referring to the drawings, a, Fig. 1, is a spring for supporting a locomotive-engine.

b is a bracket or other supporting device clamped to the center of the spring and attached to one of the axle-boxes of the locomotive.

c are links attached to the main frame of the locomotive and provided with T-shaped extremities having the shanks thereof fitted through slots in the respective extremities of the spring and having the cross bars orheads retained to place in suitable seats struck up from the main or supporting leaf of the spring, and hereinafter fully described.

(Z is a supporting or main leaf having the respective extremities thereof struck up to form a seat and folded or turned back upon themselves, but not welded, whereby the extremities of the leaf are rendered stronger than they would be if the seat were formed in the usual mannerthat is to say, by striking up the end of theleaf without turning it back upon itself, or by upsetting the end of the leaf, or by welding a piece upon it, or by turning it back upon itself and welding it to place and cutting a recess in the thickened metal. Moreover, leaves having their extremities turned back upon themselves, but not welded, may be more easily tempered than was heretofore possible, and in use are stronger and more durable on account of the resiliency of the folded portions.

Any required form of seat may be struck This punchingup from the leaf; but the forms illustrated in the drawings have been found practically efiicient, and therefore preference is given to their employment.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4, e are two pockets or projections struck up from the centerportion of the upper member e of thefolded portion of the supporting or main leaf (1, and disposed longitudinally thereof, so that the central portion of the leaf is given the desired shape or curvature, While the edges (2 are left straight or in alignment with the main body of the leaf. Each of the pockets or projections c is provided with a recess 6* for the reception of the head or cross-bar of a T-shaped link or hanger c. e is a slot, punched or otherwise formed in both the members 6 and e of the leaf of the spring and located between the two pockets or projections e. In use the shank of the hanger, bracket, or link,is fitted into and extends through the slot 6.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a form of seat comprising two pockets f and f, struck up from and disposed transversely of the upper member e of the folded leaf and extending entirely across the face of the spring, so that the hanger, link, or bracket bears evenly upon the extremity of the leaf throughout its entire width.

A modified form of seat is illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8, in which four detached pockets or projections struck up from the center portion of the upper member 6' of the folded leaf, are employed to form the sides or ends for retaining the bracket or hanger to place. Itwill be observed that the sides or edges e are left straight or in alignment with the main body of the leaf.

In Figs. 9 and 10 is illustrated a stirrup or seat having only one side Wall h, formed by a pocket or projection struck up from the central portion of the upper member a of the folded leaf, so that the sides or edges a of the leaf are left straight or in alignment with the main body of the leaf.

My method may be carried into effect for producing the main or supporting leaves of locomotive-springs in the following manner: One of the respective end portions 6 of a strip or blank of metal, as steel, somewhat longer than the required length of the finished leaf, is heated in a forge or other appliance, preferably to a temperature corresponding to a cherry-red color. The extremity e of the heated portion 6 of the blank is then dropforged or struck up by means of dies and a trip or other type of hammer in order to form the pockets or projections illustrated in the drawings and designated by the letters 8, f, f g, or 71 ,orto cause the same to assume any other required shape or form. The struck-up portion e is then bent or folded back upon the portion 6 of the leaf in order to bring the projections or pockets upon the face thereof, and in order to shorten the blank so that it will be of the required length. In some instances both the members 6' and e are punched in order to' form a slot, as at e in Figs. 2 and 3, for the passage of the shank of a hanger, link, or bracket. This slot may be formed by punching the portions 6 and c of the blank before the same are folded and then bringing these two slots into alignment by means of a drift-pin, or the two-members e and c may be first folded and then punched. In practice preference is given to the second method because the use of a drift-pin has a deleterious effect upon the quality of the finished article. The other extremity of the leaf is then treated in a similar manner, whereupon the leaf may be tempered in the usual or in any preferred manner for use.

It willbe obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates that modifications may be made in details without departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction or mode of procedure hereinabove described; but,

Having thus described the nature and objects of my present inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A supporting or main leaf forlocomotivesprings having the respective extremities thereof struck up to form a seat and folded or turned back upon themselves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A supporting or main leaf for locomotivesprings having the respective extremities thereof struck up and punched to form a seat tremitiesby means of dies, and a hammer to form pockets or projections, turning or folding the struck-up extremities of the blank back upon themselves by means of a binding appliance in order to reduce the blank to the required length of leaf, and to form seats upon the faces of the extremities thereof and tem poring the leaf, substantially as described.

4:. The herein-described method of making supporting or main leaves for locomotivesprings, which consists in heating the extremities of a blank, striking up said heated extremities by means of dies, and a hammer to form pockets or projections, turning or folding the struck-up extremities of the blank back upon themselves by means of a binding appliance in order to reduce the blank to the required length of leaf, and to form seats upon the faces of the extremities thereof, punching said folded extremities and tempering the leaf, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM EVANS.

Witnesses:

RICHARD O. MAXWELL, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

